G. Andrew Boyd/The Times-PicayuneLouisiana State CapitolWhen Louisiana state government was flush with tax dollars - way back in the halcyon days of 2007 and 2008 - one of the more popular places for lawmakers to stash some of the extra cash was in the Louisiana Mega-Project Development Fund.

The purpose of the fund, first established in 2007, was to help Louisiana land the type of big-fish industrial projects that other Southern states had been reeling in for years - car plants, steel factories and the like.

But almost as soon as it was established, the fund became an inviting target for legislators who think taxpayer dollars are better spent on higher education and health care than subsidizing large corporations. And that, in turn, frequently found state Economic Development Secretary Stephen Moret at the witness table, patiently explaining to lawmakers why money in the fund needed to be preserved.

Which brings us to this morning's hearing of the House Commerce Committee. Having largely given up on attempts to raid the fund--which has now been whittled to $62 million--the Legislature's next debate will be over how much the Department of Economic Development should be required to disclose about the mega-fund and a sister account, the Rapid Response Fund.

On the committee's agenda are four bills by Rep. Wayne Waddell, R-Shreveport, who is best known around the Capitol for being a frequent pain in the Jindal administration's posterior because of his insistence that the governor open up his records for public inspection the way other governors do.

This time, Waddell's aim is to force more disclosure of economic development deals, including ones that are still being negotiated. Among other things, the bills (House Bills 406, 553, 559 and 965) would require the agency to develop a formula for measuring the state's return on investment from projects financed through the funds, and publish a raft of information about each project on its website.

Another bill in the package would set new disclosure requirements for Rapid Response Fund projects, such as requiring all legal agreements for projects financed through the fund to include details about the number of jobs created, salary levels and a time frame for when the new jobs will be created.

Also in the Commerce Committee, which looks like it will be a hub of activity this morning, is a bill by Rep. Franklin Foil, R-Baton Rouge, to repeal the oft-lampooned licensing requirement for florists (sure to face spirited opposition from licensed florists) and another by House Speaker Jim Tucker to require more scrutiny of the Louisiana Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association,

The House Transportation Committee will hear bills by Rep. Rickey Hardy, D-Lafayette, to revoke the drivers' license of anyone convicted three times for driving while intoxicated; and to permanently deny a Louisiana drivers license to anyone who's been found guilty of vehicular homicide or first-degree vehicular negligent injury.

And it wouldn't be a transportation hearing without a bill to create a vanity license plate. Today's installment: House Bill 1268 by Rep. Jared Brossett, to create the "WWOZ Guardians of the Groove" license plate.

Jindal has scheduled a 10 a.m. news briefing this morning to discuss his priorities for the week.